The present invention relates to improvements in devices for establishing current-conducting connections between two or more electrical conductors. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in devices for establishing current-conducting connections between elongated strip- or slat-shaped conductive members and one or more wire-like conductors. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in devices of the type wherein the conductive member and one or more wire-like conductors can be biased against each other in the interior of a frame-like body by a clamping element which is movable by a screw so as to move the clamping element between two mutually inclined internal surfaces of the frame-like body.
A device of the above outlined character is disclosed in French Pat. No. 2 221 827. The clamping element is caused to slide along one of the internal surfaces to thereby bias the wire-like conductor or conductors against the conductive member which is thereby urged against the other internal surface. An advantage of such devices is that the wire-like conductor or conductors need not be positively clamped to the conductive member. Thus, if the terminals of the wire-like conductors are not provided with sleeves or like connecting components, the frame, the screw and the clamping element can be used as a highly satisfactory expedient for establishing a current-conducting connection between the wire-like conductor or conductors on the one hand and a conducting member on the one hand without necessitating any changes in the construction, wiring and/or other parameters of the structure in a control panel, instrument panel, distribution panel or a like system containing or carrying signal generating, signal transmitting and/or signal displaying parts in the form of switches, knobs, lamps and the like.
A drawback of the patented device is that the axis of the screw for the clamping element makes a rather large angle with the axis or axes of the wire-like conductor(s) which must be connected to the conducting member. This can create problems because the space in or adjacent to a control panel is often at a premium so that there is no room for insertion and manipulation of a screwdriver or another torque transmitting tool which is used to rotate the screw in a direction to move the clamping element into or away from engagement with one or more wire-like conductors.